New business will help spur shopping options

Published: Friday, February 21, 2014 at 12:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, February 20, 2014 at 12:38 p.m.

Another large, vacant retail space will soon gain new life in Lexington — and shoppers in western Davidson County will have another option for their grocery purchases. If all goes according to plan, a Walmart Neighborhood Marketplace will open its doors within a year at the site of the former Winn-Dixie in the Lexington Center on U.S. Highway 64 West. The Winn-Dixie and two adjacent retail spaces will be torn down to make way for the marketplace.

This brings good news on many fronts. A building that has sat unused since 2005 will be demolished and a new structure rise in its place. The new business should help other establishments in the Lexington Center as well. Shoppers not only gain a new option, but it could create lower prices in other nearby grocery stores. It also will bring 90 new jobs to the city and help further reduce the county unemployment rate.

Efforts by the city, Lexington Area Chamber of Commerce and others to attract new businesses and reduce the number of empty buildings continue to pay off. Sometimes new occupants can move in with relatively little work. Other properties require extensive renovations. And sometimes tearing down an existing structure at a prime location and starting over provides the best option.

Not that long ago numerous big-box locations dotted the city, but that number has fallen drastically. Churches, senior care organizations and other retail establishments now fill those properties. Shoppers might prefer to see a more diverse collection of businesses, but any use of a building is better than seeing a structure sit vacant year after year.

The Walmart Neighborhood Market also provides a new business in northwest Lexington. When Childress Vineyards opened, the expectation was that area would blossom, especially sitting at the intersection of U.S. Highways 64 and 52. However, that really hasn't happened, and even the Shoppes at the Vineyards have struggled to fill vacancies. But two new apartment complexes offer the promise of a population boom in the area, so some businesses may now reconsider the location as a place to build or move.

Lexington sits in a strategic location along Interstate 85 between Greensboro and Charlotte and on U.S. Highway 52 between Winston-Salem and Salisbury and points south. Highway traffic can keep some businesses afloat, but others need a steady stream of local customers as well. Downtown has seen a renaissance over the past few years, so the retail climate offers its best outlook in some time. And while Walmart evokes strong reactions from folks, not always positive, the new marketplace store continues a string of positive developments in the business sector.

<p>Another large, vacant retail space will soon gain new life in Lexington — and shoppers in western Davidson County will have another option for their grocery purchases. If all goes according to plan, a Walmart Neighborhood Marketplace will open its doors within a year at the site of the former Winn-Dixie in the Lexington Center on U.S. Highway 64 West. The Winn-Dixie and two adjacent retail spaces will be torn down to make way for the marketplace.</p><p>This brings good news on many fronts. A building that has sat unused since 2005 will be demolished and a new structure rise in its place. The new business should help other establishments in the Lexington Center as well. Shoppers not only gain a new option, but it could create lower prices in other nearby grocery stores. It also will bring 90 new jobs to the city and help further reduce the county unemployment rate.</p><p>Efforts by the city, Lexington Area Chamber of Commerce and others to attract new businesses and reduce the number of empty buildings continue to pay off. Sometimes new occupants can move in with relatively little work. Other properties require extensive renovations. And sometimes tearing down an existing structure at a prime location and starting over provides the best option.</p><p>Not that long ago numerous big-box locations dotted the city, but that number has fallen drastically. Churches, senior care organizations and other retail establishments now fill those properties. Shoppers might prefer to see a more diverse collection of businesses, but any use of a building is better than seeing a structure sit vacant year after year.</p><p>The Walmart Neighborhood Market also provides a new business in northwest Lexington. When Childress Vineyards opened, the expectation was that area would blossom, especially sitting at the intersection of U.S. Highways 64 and 52. However, that really hasn't happened, and even the Shoppes at the Vineyards have struggled to fill vacancies. But two new apartment complexes offer the promise of a population boom in the area, so some businesses may now reconsider the location as a place to build or move.</p><p>Lexington sits in a strategic location along Interstate 85 between Greensboro and Charlotte and on U.S. Highway 52 between Winston-Salem and Salisbury and points south. Highway traffic can keep some businesses afloat, but others need a steady stream of local customers as well. Downtown has seen a renaissance over the past few years, so the retail climate offers its best outlook in some time. And while Walmart evokes strong reactions from folks, not always positive, the new marketplace store continues a string of positive developments in the business sector.</p>